Sand packer for pottery



May 8,1945. J. A. sbwER 2,375,191

SAND PACKER FOR POTTERY Filed June 10, 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 1 w m /w\ m r4 B m m Aw SAND PACKER FOR POTTERY- Filed June 10. 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Man-5% May 8, 1945. J. A. BOVVER SAND PACKER FOR POTTERY Filed June 10, 1943 s Sheds- Sheet, 5

Patented May 8, 1945 SAND PACKER FOR'POTTERY James A. Bower, Chester, W. Va., assignor to The Taylor, Smith & .Taylor Company, East Liverpool, Ohio, a corporation of West Virginia Application June 10, 1943,Serial No. 490,324

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in the packing of sand about pottery arranged in stacks to be placed in firing kilns.

' It is often desirable in the firing of pottery to support the articles at every point of the under surface of their rims so as to entirely eliminate sagging and warping. For this purpose it is usual to pack sand between the articles arranged in stacks so that they are nested in the sand. The process of manually packing the sand about the articles is both tedious and time consuming, and quite often results in the production of defective ware due to the absence of supporting sand at various points between the rims of adjacent articles, or because of the repeated handling of the articles while in their fragile condition prior to firing.

A primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for automatically packing sand in the annular crevices between stacked articles, so as to avoid unnecessary handling of the articles, as well as to provide a uniform and thorough packing of the sand.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a simplified mechanism by which sand is automatically deposited about stacks of articles, the stacks vibrated to cause the sand to crowd into and pack the series of spaces between the stacked plates or the like, and surplus sand automatically discharged into a receptacle from which it is elevated and deposited into a bin from which it is subsequently discharged and deposited about succeeding stacks of ware paratus.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a sand packing apparatus of relatively. few. operating parts so as to not only simplify its construction but also to reduce to a minimum both the cost of operation and time lost due to shut-downs because of disorganization of the moving parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus. v

Figure 2 is a side elevatlonal view thereof.

. Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus with the storage bin removed.

Figure 4 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a rotatable series of containers which receive the stacks or bungs of partly formed ware.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the series of containers and related parts, and

placed in the ap- Figure 6is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the vibratory mounting for the spider which supports the containers.

Referring to the drawings in greater. detail,

the numeral l indicates afloor or other base from which extend a plurality of vertical stand ards 2 connected at their upper ends by horizontal bars 3 and 4 to form the. main frame-;

work of the apparatus. 1 Mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the apparatus, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2,

is a storage and dispensing bin 5 adapted to receive sand through its upper end, and provided with a discharge pipe or nozzle 6 at its lower end. Mounted at one side of thebin 5 and extending vertically of the apparatus is a bucket conveyer I provided with an endless series of buckets 8. This conveyer may be operated through the medium of an electric motor 9 and reduction gearing I0, mounted on a platform H adjacent the top of the apparatus.

The lower end of the bucket conveyer I is located in a receptacle or bin [2 disposed at the bottom of the apparatus just below the floor I and adapted to receive surplus sand from the containers on the revolvable table, as will appear hereinafter. The upper end of the conveyer-extends to a plane somewhat above the top of the storage bin 5, and the adjacent edge of the top of the bin is provided with a guide strip I3, to direct the sand into the bin as it is projected from the buckets 8 after the latter travel over the upper roller of the conveyer.

Rotatably mounted directly belowthe nozzle 6 of the storage'bin 5 is a table or spider on which are supported four buckets or containers I4, although it is to be understood that the number of containers may be varied as desired. This part of the apparatus includes a vertical shaft l5 mounted in bearings 16 and I1 and provided with a boss l8 secured on its upper end. Secured to the upper face of the boss l8, as by bolts [9,

is a'plate 20. Interposed between the elementswalls of these. containers are provided with diametrically disposed pockets or bulges 24 to provide clearance for the hands of the operator in depositing and removing the stacks of ware from the containers.

The containers M are provided with downward 1y tapered or funnel-shaped bottoms 26,, in eachot which is formed a discharge, opening 2-1 to permit 7 the escape of surplus sandat the proper-time.

I Disposed in a plane immediately below the bottom of the containers I4 is an arcuate valveplate 28- extending through an arc of somewhat more than 90 and serving as a closure for a container at the charging stationand at. the-next station thereafter. 1 When a.- contai'ner passesabeyond the'plate .28 the surplus sand is firee-to leave' the particular container; and airinclfned plate or chute-25 m providedto direct-suchsand into the bin D2 Shaft-"l5; which supportsthe rotating tabl'e,'ex

tends through an opening in chute wand merrier to protect the shaft-and related parts fromthe sand descending in the chute aesieevew is en-- tended upwardly from the chute to which: it is attaohed andenci'rclestheshaft. i

order to vibrate the containers M and the stacks ofi ware therein so as to cause the sand to pack" into the crevices between the plates or the like; an electric vibrator" is provided in a housing 351 The" vibrator may be-of any well know-n som mercial type, and i's moun-tedon a plate 32' secured on the adjacent edgesof the four containers; The-conducting wires 33' for the vibrator preferably extend downwardly through the sleeve and? the opening in chute 29, and are: thenconnectedwith a pai r of: rings fl associated with: bvushes35. This circuit: is preferably controlled by a time switch which, after beingclosed bytheoperator will remain closed for aboutfoursecond's.

The con'i-plete operation of the sand packing apparatus will now be described.

Assuming the bin is charged with sand and the bucket conveyer l is being-driven by; the: motor 9 ,3. bung or stack of platescr other pottery tabs-fired is placed in the-container I 4 ainstation. A, the ware resting on the spider in thelcorrtainer. The table is nowmanualiy rotated 9w,;as'- bya. handle- 25, to the container to station-:3 where itre'ceive's a charge of -sand: and is then vibrated for: a. four second interval by the closing of the vibrator switch. "The container-is then moved through 90' tobri'ng it tostati'om G where it-i's agai'n' vibrated for'theperiod mentioned; The. tabl'eis again rotated to bring: thecontainer to station D whi'cl-r-is spaced beyond-the end of thei valve plate 28 At this station the surplus: sand is automatically discharged from. the" container and thecompletely and uniiormlypacked staclc oip'lates as removed by the 5 operator, and-1 read-y to be'transferred tcthe firing'kilm I After the operator removes the sanded stack of ware alt-station Brand; before the operator at station introduces afresh: stack-in the: cm-

tainer at that station, he closes the: vibrator? 71 switch so as to cause the vibrationaofistacksw of. ware at stations B and C. Itwdllitlrus be: apparent that no stack. of ware is vibrated imtihcompletely surrounded. by a a charge: of sand; and. that: :nor'

has been drained from its container. Hence there is no possibility of the ware of unsanded stacks being shaken out of vertical alignment, nor

of the sand being shaken loose from completely sanded stacks.

In the course of charging sand into the several containers, it will be noted that the discharge of sand irom the nozzle 6 to each container is automatically cut ofiwhen the sand piles: upto close the lower end of the nozzle, and that it automatically begins to flow into the succeeding container e assoonas the filled container is moved to station C. The arcu'ate valve plate 28 serves to close the lower ends. of thetcontainers at stations B and C and duringthei rfltravel between these stations,

- ancl' automatically'opens the lower ends of the containers. when they reach station D; the surplus sand traveling down chute 29 to the lower bin l2, from whence it may be raised to the dispensing bin 5. by the elevator I.

The) foregoing, operations are continued. so long as the apparatus remains in operation; it being understoodiof' course that new'sand must be addedlfrom-rtime to time. to take the place of sand 3 deposited in the. crevices of the stacks.

It will be understood of! course that by'extending the valve plate. 28 to. stati'onD, each charged containercould be given; three periods of, vibration. Insucheventan operator would be employed only .atstation; A, and. he would load and. un-

load. the containers at. that station I Fromitherforeg'oing description taken connection with the accompanying drawings it will bev apparent to. those. skilled in the art'that Ihave devisedasimple and inexpensive apparatus which is strong, durable and inexpensive in operation,,. and yet.- providesa 'mechanical .,means whereby sand is. expeditiously and thoroughly packed in the annular spaces between astacl; of plates so as, ta provide a.- uniform support. throughout the. under surface, of the rims of the. individual a1.-

' ticlest In accordance with the patent statutes IV have construction oi'the. apparatus, but inasmuch as.

various changes may be made in. the. construe tion. without departing from the spirit of the in.- vention, it is intended: that such changes be included. within the scope ot the. appended. claims.

What]; claim is:

leApparatus ior packing sand, aboutstacks. of. pottery, comprising a vertically disposed shat,. a resilient member disposed on the upper end ot'the. shaft a. horizontally arranged. carrier member havingits central portion. clampedon the resilient. member, a plurality or containers supported on the carrier means. fior charging. sand into the containers, and. means for vibrating the, carrier;

2'. Apparatus for packing, sand about. stacks of pottery, comprising a vertically disposed shaft,, a

rubber pad disposedlon the upper end. ofthe shaft, apai'rcoi' crossed. bars constituting, a carrier and having. their mid-portions. supported; bythe rubber pad, a plurality of containers supported on the, carrier, means for charging sand ihfiothe containers, and means for vibrating the carrier..

3. Apparatus, for packing, sandv about, stacks of pottery, comprisinga. rotatable. table, a. plurality of open-ended containers; carried thereby and adapted to receive, stacks of pottery, means for closing-.andopening the. lower. ends-ofv saiduconz-l tainers during'thezrotation of the table xmeanss for chargin gsamdi into: the containersf and means sanded is vibrated after thesurpiu'e sand. to for vibrating the containers.

4. Apparatus for packing sand about stacks of pottery, comprising a rotatable table, a plurality of open-ended containers carried thereby and adapted to receive stacks of pottery, an arcuate plate spaced slightly below the path of travel of the containers and adapted to close the lower ends of the containers during a portion of their travel, and means for charging sand into the containers.

5. Apparatusfor packing sand about stacks of pottery, comprising a rotatable table, a plurality of open-ended containers carried thereby and adapted to receive stacks of pottery, an arcuate plate spaced slightly below the path of travel or the containers and adapted to close the lower ends of the containers during a portion of their travel, a chute disposed below the containers and adapted to receive surplus sand therefrom, a bin for receiving sand from the chute, means for charging sand into the containers, means for raising sand from the bin to the charging means, and means for vibrating the containers. Q

6. Apparatus for packing sand about stacks of pottery, comprising a spider adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, secondary spiders formed adjacent the ends of the first-mentioned spider, containers in which the secondary spiders are located, said containers adapted to receive stacks of pottery, means for directing sand into the containers, and means for vibrating the containers.

7. Apparatus for packing sand about stacks of pottery, comprising a rotatable table, a plurality of containers carried thereby and adapted to receive stacks of pottery, said containers having openings in the top and bottom, an open support in each of the containers upon which the stacks of pottery rest, means for charging sand into the containers, means for closing and opening the lower ends of the containers, means for vibrating the containers, a bin, and means for directing sand discharged from the containers to said bin.

8. Apparatus for packing sand about stacks of pottery, comprising an upper bin for sand, a rotatable table, a plurality of containers carried thereby and adapted to receive stacks of pottery, said containers havingopenings in the top and bottom, an open support in each of the containers upon which the stacks of pottery rest, means for charging sand into the containers from said upper bin, means for closing and opening the lower ends of the containers, means for vibrating the containers, a lower bin, means for directing sand discharged from the containers to said lower bin, and means for conveying the sand from the lower bin to the upper bin.

' JAMES A, BOWER. 

